And when it gets really bad, those characters end up being lightning rods of hatred—the focal point amongst fans and haters alike, who pour all of their gripes onto that one character and nitpick everything they do because they’re just so unlikable. When a character is written well, they can actually go from hated to loved—much like the early seasons of Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones—but those are few and far between....

However, when a romantic comedy movie gets those heartbreaking scenes right, those moments can often be the most evocative. Sometimes, making the audience feel the opposite of how they thought they’d feel is a move that can bring a visceral edge that makes the rest of the film far more emotionally resonant. It turns a movie that may have initially appeared shallow into something much deeper. Which moments in the romantic comedy genre have had the hardest impact on viewers?...

Coined by the English screenwriter Angus MacPhail and popularized by Alfred Hitchcock, the term “MacGuffin” refers to a prop, object, or person that primarily exists to push the narrative forward. The movie MacGuffin is the central trigger for conflict and character motives. The actual MacGuffin object or person may not hold any significance or affect the plot on its own—the important thing is that it propels the character(s) forward. For example, the Marvel movies are full of MacGuffins....

A lot of these powers and abilities are common across anime. But then you also have less common ones, like those who can defy the laws of time or even bend time to their will. Anime characters who can control time are unique needles in a haystack. It’s a great power to have, but time manipulation can be quite risky and dangerous. Here are some of the best anime characters—both allies and villains—who can manipulate time....

Indeed, the directors and illustrators of anime don’t just put effort into their character designs, but also into the backgrounds and settings that give life to the story. Some of these real-life places are iconic enough that you might recognize them even if you’ve never been to Japan, but sometimes the real-world location is itself mundane and only noteworthy because a certain event or plot point just happens to takes place there....

I was a K-drama skeptic for most of my life and I adamantly refused to watch them, mainly because the K-dramas of my youth were overly melodramatic and lacking in production value. But a few years ago, I spotted a few on Netflix that seemed interesting and decided to give them a shot. While there are still plenty of duds, I admit that many modern K-dramas blow me away. If you’re a fan of TV series like Breaking Bad, Sherlock, Westworld, or Downton Abbey, you seriously need to add K-dramas to your watchlist....

As Logan felt his time come, he gave instructions to the girl at his side, the one who had dealt the killing blow to X-24—to take her friends and run. But as he faded away, Logan’s temperament softened and he held onto the hand of someone he had knowingly given his life to save. In the previous film, Logan’s death was foretold by Yukio: “I see you on your back....

But as much as I love Nintendo products—even now, as an adult, I still love much of what the company creates—I’m not particularly jazzed about how they operate beyond their games, accessories, etc. Believe it or not, Nintendo’s history as a company is peppered with more than a few controversies. These past few months have been especially disappointing. Even rage-inducing, for some. Here are some of the bone-headed decisions and controversial actions by Nintendo that have soured fans like me....

Terry’s struggle is one of the more enduring aspects of the show, and it’s a shame that the writers never got the chance to answer the question: “Who is the better Batman?” Because the DC Animated Universe ended after Justice League Unlimited. But with a bit of hindsight and a lot of overanalysis and opining, we can come to that conclusion on our own. Between Terry McGinnis and Bruce Wayne, who was the definitive Batman of the DC Animated Universe era?...

It’s based on the manga Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotouge, and was directed by Haruo Sotozaki. It follows the story right after the first season of the Demon Slayer anime, with the main characters boarding a train and meeting up with the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku. With its great story and mesmerizing scenes, along with top-notch animation, you may have missed how the movie builds up its characters and features their developments....

The studio system ruled supreme, so motion pictures adhered to the political notions of Hollywood producers. In other words, only those who played by the studio’s rules was allowed to make their own movies—after making the ones that the studio first wanted them to make. Take Orson Welles, for example. Often described as the greatest filmmaker who ever lived, Welles spent much of his time in Hollywood ignoring those who played the system to get their movies made....

With each box, you get a random assortment of themed contents—and, generally speaking, the value of the contents often exceed the monthly price of the subscription. If not, you’re usually paying for something special beyond just the price tag of the contents (like exclusive or rare items). For geeks, there are lots of subscription boxes out there and it can be overwhelming. We’re here to help you choose the best geeky subscription box that’s perfect for you—or even your kids!...

While murderers may have evil motives that drive them to perform wicked acts covered in shadows, wild beasts are different—they have no higher intelligence, and they merely act on natural instincts. Such animals can be “real” animals that were provoked, or they could be genetically enhanced organisms that are unnatural, but the end is always the same: they find themselves preying on humans. And in some ways, these movies can be even scarier than ghosts and murderers....

And then there are those movies where the setting is so uniquely crafted and remarkably realized that the setting itself starts to feel like a character of its own. (If you’ve ever seen Lost, you know how the Island eventually became a mythical entity. Yeah, that’s what we mean.) Here are some of the best movies where the flora and fauna are more than just a pretty backdrop but an integral part of the plot and basically characters in and of themselves....

Between poets, essayists, journalists, authors, and biographers, women began wielding the pen—or, by this time, typewriters—and exhibiting all kinds of new power as they wrote about daring new subjects. Here are the most influential female writers from the 1900s, who infused literature with new dimensions as they rediscovered the female voice and advocated for equality between races and sexes. 10. Margaret Atwood (1939–Present) Whether it’s the book or the TV series, most people have heard of The Handmaid’s Tale....

But sometimes you just can’t play face-to-face. Friends get lost in their careers, give birth to children, move to another state, suffer life-altering incidents—in short, getting a group together can be tough. So while digital board games may not be the ideal way to play for many, it might just be the only way you can play. If you find yourself in that position, the Nintendo Switch has some solid options to try....

Here are our picks for the best desert movies set in dry and arid landscapes, from the wastelands of the Sahara desert to sand-covered barren planets where few ever survive. 12. The Way Back (2010) Not to be mistaken for the 2020 sports drama by Gavin O’Connor, The Way Back takes us on a grand escape from the Siberian Gulag after a bunch of prisoners break out during a snowstorm....

Sadly, the main characters and big hitters in a story are usually the ones making violence, while the healers are usually relegated to being side characters who have little to no development. Only a handful of anime series place real importance on their healer characters, and a few of them even have healers as main characters. From professional healers to those who just happen to have an incredible healing ability, here are the best healer characters in anime!...

What’s a death game movie? You can expect it to involve some sort premise that turn characters into players who are trying to survive—either against each other or against the game master. Sometimes, a death game movie is an actual game with a cash prize at the end. Other times, players are forced to do unsavory things in order to win freedom or their heart’s true desire. Players can be captive prisoners, abducted everymen, or even volunteers....

From Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in 1938 to Frozen in 2013, the musical aspect of Disney’s movies has always been a vital part of the experience for the audience to fall in love with. Sure, many of those Disney movie songs have ended up being utterly forgettable, and some have only been OK. But there’s no doubt that Disney movies have given us some of the most iconic soundtracks and original songs in all of cinema history....